Back from my mini-vacation to central Florida, normal service will resume tomorrow. But first things first, one of the most interesting headlines from today’s stories is that Fernando Torres says that Rafael Benitez made Chelsea a better team this season.

Benitez has managed his last Chelsea match in charge for the club, and looks set to be headed to Napoli. But Torres’s statement carries a lot of weight. Chelsea finished the season in far greater fashion than when they started it earlier this season. Many Chelsea fans may disagree, but Benitez seemed to get more out of this Chelsea side, playing them.

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6 Comments

Brn442May 27, 2013

For one Benitez got more out of Torres by actually playing him for more than 60 mins a match, something under-pressure mangers Ancelotti, Villa-Boas, and Di Matteo, never had the time to do.

Cannot disagree with Torres on this one. Benitez did make Chelsea more stable and they kept their shape in games which is why they were successful in the end. Under RDM they were more attacking but left lots of holes in midfield and defense and after a while it began hurting the team which is why Roman fired RDM.

What is even more impressive is that Benitez did this with players he inherited and even in the January transfer window had no say in which players to bring in as he was an interim manager. In time many more Chelsea fans will give Benitez his due.

Agree, though I guess it depends on how we’re defining “better.” I think he made them a more consistent – and as you noted, stable – team. Over the course of a league campaign, that’s probably more important than being attacking.